Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team have always focused quite a lot in the classics and sprints, however with the rise of Remco Evenepoel the team has to consider more and more support for the mountains, and Briton James Knox is in the list for the riders who are expected to perform.
“I’ve done races with him the past couple of years, where I’ve supported him. I know that role quite well, and there will be opportunities in the future to be there for him in the grand tours to support him," Knox said in a recent interview with Velonews and Cyclingnews. Having signed with the team in 2018 he's ridden alongside the likes of Julian Alaphilippe, João Almeida and Evenepoel himself in the pursuit of results in the mountains, and in contract year he will be looking to perform in 2023.
“The plan for me was to be at the Vuelta with him, but things got changed around for myself and I didn’t end up going. I did the Giro instead," Knox revealed. He didn't ride for results this year, and was far away from the TV screens. He's looking to change that around for the coming season, perhaps being one of Evenepoel's supporting riders for the Giro d'Italia.
“It’s been a bit of a difficult year for me, it wasn’t fantastic. I had problems at the start of the year, and I never got going well enough. I was at the Giro, but I just didn’t have the legs. I felt better in the second half of the season," Knox added.
“I think everyone on the team knows what he’s capable of in terms of training and what he’s done in one-day races, but to actually do it in a grand tour, it’s not a surprise, there’s also a bit of a shock and awe in the way he did it. He’s only 21 (correction: 22, ed.), he delivered on the hype and everything, everyone’s been putting a lot of pressure on him. So you have to say chapeau to him for that. He’s delivering with his legs.
Knox wasn't present at the Vuelta a Espana where the Belgian thrived despite reduced support. He commented however on the achievement: “It’s a massive achievement for Remco and the team. After 20 years to finally get a grand tour for the team, and for Belgium. The [fans] are all going mental for it after waiting more than 40 years to get a grand tour victory.”
“More of the experienced guys will tell you that sometimes it’s your year, and sometimes it’s not. Especially with the level getting so much higher, there’s not much margin for error now. That seems to be the crux of it. If you’re not one of the big stars like Remco, those guys can deliver when they are not at 100 percent, but a guy like myself, you really have to be 100 percent to be up there in the races," he continued.
“You can see the type of riders the team’s been signing the last couple of years that already suggests that they’re trying to get guys to come to the team with the idea of support for the grand tours,” Knox agrees, with Jan Hirt having been signed for that purpose over the winter, the likes of Ilan van Wilder and Fausto Masnada to remain his right-hand men likely for the mountains.
“Thankfully we already had some strong guys, like Devenyns and Pieter Serry, who could already do that job fantastically well, and they added some support with Masnada and Louis Vervaeke, and Van Wilder. We do have some climbing guys now, and it will be a bigger attraction for guys to join the team, especially with Remco delivering now," Knox continued.
“Some guys will want to get on the gravy train, so to speak, with Remco challenging for more and more grand tours in the next five years or so. I can imagine that Patrick will try to strengthen the team in that regard," the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team rider concluded.
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